Photo by Frank Couch.
Red Mountain goats
Red Mountain has a group of new tenants: Kiko goats, which are used to clear the underbrush in areas of the park.
Red Mountain Park has a new group of residents — back permanently following a temporary stay. A herd of 150 Kiko goats now call the park home, nestled among RMP’s 1,500 acres.
The goats, part of RMP’s “Long-Term Herbivore Browse Program,” offer more than a new sight to see. They are all working for their keep.
Each day, the goats do what they do best: eat. In the process, they help clear land previously overrun by invasive species such as kudzu and Chinese privet. The goats are so successful at their task, RMP natural resource specialist Ian Hazelhoff said, that plans are already in the works to have the goats clear other overgrown areas of Birmingham as well.
Hazelhoff said this particular species of goats, which he referred to as “aggressive browsers,” are a crucial part of the park’s long-term plans. Combined with targeted herbicide use and heavy machinery, the goats’ land-clearing abilities will help the park access land once feared useless. Because of their “delicate touch,” the goats are able to clear the land without damaging potential artifacts that would be crushed by machinery or strip the land of nutrients like unrelenting herbicide use could.
The goats were brought back, Hazelhoff said, following a successful pilot program last year in which 50 goats cleared 2 acres in just five days.
An added benefit, Hazelhoff said, is the free fertilizer the goats produce. The goats’ droppings return valuable nutrients to soil once stripped by the mining of days past.
Once the land is cleared, RMP staff can reintroduce plant species, such as oak, hickory and dogwood, which will help the land flourish.
Up first on the list of tasks for the goats is to clear what will eventually become a large, multiple-acre pasture, Hazelhoff said, where families can enjoy picnics, disc golf, water features and other activities.
The goats belong to Goat Busters, a company based out of Virginia that specializes in land clearing by goats.
Jace Goodling, who owns the company, said one of his employees moved to Birmingham to help care for the goats. The goats are monitored closely, he said, and are visited several times a day.
“Goats are Mother Nature’s oldest weed-eaters,” Goodling said. “With so much emphasis nowadays on green methods, on being environmentally friendly, using goats to clear land makes all the sense in the world.”
Goodling visits frequently, he said, until he can find someone else to help watch over the animals. Goat Busters is responsible for the well-being of the animals, including their food, breeding, veterinary and housing needs. Four guard dogs — two Great Pyrenees and two Anatolian shepherds — help keep away hungry predators such as coyotes, bobcats and feral dogs.
Hazelhoff, a Sewanee graduate, said he had previously heard about using goats for land-clearing purposes, but never thought to implement the idea until he was hired at RMP to help lay the groundwork for the continued sustainability of the forest.
“I knew that the invasive plants were at such a level of saturation that something had to budge,” he said.
Because of RMP’s independence and ability to experiment, Hazelhoff said, the opportunity to incorporate an innovative approach seemed perfect. He added that Birmingham has the highest concentration of invasive plant species in the nation, making it the perfect experimental site for this relatively new concept.
Once the plan was underway, the goats took off. Not only did they eat and clear the land quicker than anyone expected, but goat fascination also quickly grew.
The amount of interest in the goats eventually led RMP and Goat Busters to work toward a permanent partnership. Though the details are still in the works, said Hazelhoff, the plan is to eventually introduce goat browsing to Birmingham’s vacant lots, highway borders and other area green spaces. The goal is to help spread the herbivore browse practice across the region, while spurring economic development and creating hundreds of new jobs for local farmers willing to learn the specifics.
In terms of logistics, Hazelhoff said, the goats are also extremely cost-effective. With the goats, it is estimated that RMP can increase the amount of land that will be restored to good health 75 percent more quickly than without the goats’ help. The goats will continue the park’s upkeep, Hazelhoff said, saving tens of thousands a year that would otherwise be used to bring in ongoing machinery and herbicide use.
“Everywhere a goat walks, it poops,” said Goodling of Goat Busters, “and because they tend to chew everything over and over, goats crush seeds, limiting any reseeding risks. Their hooves help break up the soil, and that, added with their natural fertilizer, helps prepare the ground for native species.”
Goodling said he got into the goat market almost accidentally. A luxury house builder by trade, Goodling looked for other sources of income when the housing economy tanked in 2008. Goodling teamed up with Auburn grad Scott Wilcox and began breeding Kiko goats as breeding stock. The ones that weren’t deemed “perfect” for breeding purposes, he said, became the foundation of his Goat Busters squad.
“The company has grown every year for the last seven years,” he said.
RMP encourages visitors to observe, but not touch or feed, the goats and it provides maps on where the grazers can be found.
“We as city dwellers have lost touch with what it’s like to see lots of farm animals out and about,” Hazelhoff said. “Having the goats visible encourages parents and children to learn more about the species and about the important work they are doing.”
The initiative, Hazelhoff said, will help put Birmingham on the map for innovation.
“Our desire is to be at the forefront of helping Birmingham heal its land,” he said. “Be on the lookout for goats to pop up around the city.”